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A DISCOURSE 



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METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 



BY 



T. A. MOEKIS, D. D., 

SENIOR BISHOP OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH. 



CINCINNATI: 

rUBLISHED BY L. STVORXISTEDT & A. POE, 

FOR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AT THE WESTERN BOOK 

CONCERN, CORNER OF MAIN AND EIGHTH STREETS. 

K. P. THOMPSON, PRINTER. 
18 59. 



pit 



lot CONO*K»»j 
IwASHlMOTO"] 



A 



Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1859, 

BY SWORMSTEDT & POE, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern 
District of Ohio. 



TO THE READER. 



The following discourse, in substance, 
was delivered last spring at the sessions 
of North Indiana and Pittsburg confer- 
ences. Both conferences took action 
requesting its publication. Many offi- 
cial laymen, some in an associated and 
others in an individual capacity, have 
made the same request. To comply at 
that time was impracticable, as it was 
not then written. Since, however, 
doing a little at a time, and perse- 
vering for weeks, I have succeeded in 
transferring it from mind to paper. It 

embodies my mature thoughts on our 

5 



6 TO THE READER. 

Church polity, or rather an outline of 
them, after many years of experience 
and observation. I trust it may help 
to correct some erroneous impressions, 
and aid in obtaining a better under- 
standing of a subject interesting to 
our extended connection. 

T. A. Morris. 

Cincinnati, August. 1859. 



DISCOURSE 



METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 



For though. I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with 
you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order 
and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Colos- 
siaxs n, 5. 

This epistle of Paul is addressed "to 
the saints and faithful brethren in 
Christ which are at Colosse," or to 
those who not only profess Christianity, 
but faithfully practice its precepts and 
experience its saying power. All such 
^are one in spirit. They may differ in 
speculative theology, in forms of disci- 
pline, in modes of worship, and in 

name, but they are one in heart. 

7 



8 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

Paul had "great conflict/' or fraternal 
and prayerful solicitude, not only for 
the brethren who knew him, but also 
" for as many as had not seen his face 
in the flesh, that their hearts might 
be comforted, being knit together in 
love." That principle which causes 
people to love those whom they never 
saw must be of heavenly origin. "God 
is love." Religion in the Bible sense 
is love to God and man. Love in the 
hearts of Church members unites them 
to each other and to Christ their living 
head. It is the bond of Christian 
union in the Church above and beneath. 
"That in the dispensation of the full- 
ness of times he might gather together 
in one all things in Christ, both which 
are in heaven, and which are on earth; 
even in him." Ephesians i, 10. Our 
text also affords us further illustration 



FAITH. 9 

of the unity of all true Christian hearts. 
While Paul was absent in body he was 
present with the Colossian brethren in 
spirit, rejoicing in their faith and order. 
The Church of Colosse was a model 
Church, sound in faith and strict in 
discipline. These are great elements 
of ecclesiastical power, and when to 
them is added the love of God shed 
abroad in the heart of believers by the 
Holy Ghost given unto them, the 
Church is in a safe and prosperous 
condition. Our subject suggests two 
leading points for present consideration 
and examination. 
. I. Faith. 
Faith is a comprehensive term, ad- 
mitting of various definitions and appli- 
cations. In its less important sense 
it applies to a man's doctrinal views. 
What is his faith? that is, to what 



10 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

system of theology does he hold? 
And here we indorse for every con- 
sistent Christian that he believes all 
Bible truth, especially all truth essen- 
tial to vital Christianity. Faith in a 
more important sense is a sure trust 
and confidence in the Lord Jesus 
Christ as our present, only, and all- 
sufficient Savior. This is the faith 
that unites us to Christ, that "works 
by love and purifies the heart," and 
saves the soul. 

It is needful that our faith in both 
respects be steadfast. Even in regard 
to our religious opinions we should be 
not " carried about with every wind of 
doctrine;" for to doubt and veer as to 
our principles and Church relations as 
often as rival parties may rise and fal] 
is as unsafe as to put to sea without 
chart, compass, or helm. Before we 



ORDER. 11 

adopt any system we should be satis- 
fied that it accords with the Bible, and 
then stick to it for life. It is, however, 
still more essential that our faith in the 
saving sense be steadfastly adhered to. 
We should walk in Christ as we re- 
ceived him, hold fast the beginning of 
our confidence, and retain the rejoicing 
of our hope firmly to the end; for "he 
that shall endure to the end the same 
shall be saved." This is all we have 
time to say on the first part of the 
subject, and it is, perhaps, sufficient to 
suggest the need of our ecclesiastical- 
organization now to be considered. 

II. Order, 

The term order in this connection 
properly applies to Church discipline 
and its administration. It will be con- 
ceded by all competent judges that 
government of some sort or other in 



12 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

the Church is requisite to her peace 
and prosperity. This is true of all 
associations, whether voluntary or in- 
voluntary. What would be the condi- 
tion of your family without family gov- 
ernment? Or of your schools without 
strict rules of propriety and order? 
Or of your state without wholesome 
laws duly administered? Or of your 
army without strict military discipline ? 
And what would become of the peace, 
purity, and prosperity of the Church 
without "rules and regulations" strictly 
enforced? All would be in a state 
of anarchy and confusion, doomed to 
wreck and ruin. Corrupt practices 
would creep in, confidence would be 
destroyed, and discord and hatred 
would supersede peace and love. 

We do not contend, however, that 
any specific form of Church govern- 



ORDER. 13 

nient is essential. The Gospel is des- 
tined to prevail among all nations, and 
their social and political conditions are 
so diversified that the same prudential 
rules and regulations would not be ap- 
plicable to all of them. These pruden- 
tial rules and regulations may, there- 
fore, be safely varied to any needful 
extent not inconsistent with the Bible, 
which is the constitutional law of the 
Church generally. In the civil depart- 
ment of society all governments are 
comprehended under three heads; to wit, 
monarchy, aristocracy, and republican- 
ism. A monarchy is a government in 
the hands of an individual. Aristoc- 
racy places the power to govern in the 
hands of a few; while republicanism 
leaves it with the people generally, to 
be exercised directly or through their 
chosen representatives. And while 



14 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

there is a decided preference between 
these forms of government, it is pos- 
sible for a man to be a patriot and a 
loyal citizen under either of them. So 
we believe. And in like manner all 
Church governments are comprehended 
under three forms in a general sense, 
namely, episcopal, presbyterial, and 
congregational, each of which, however, 
is susceptible of modification. Here 
we use the term episcopal, not in the 
sense of our moderate, well-guarded 
superintendency, but as it is used by 
Papists and High Churchmen, as ex- 
pressive of a third and superior order of 
ministers. A presbyterial Church gov- 
ernment is one chiefly in the hands 
of presbyters or ministers; and a con- 
gregational Church government is one 
allowing each local congregation to act 
independently of all others, managing 



ORDER. 15 

all Church matters for itself, irrespect- 
ive of a connectional relation. It would 
be safe to admit the possibility of a 
man's being a Christian under either 
of the three. The government of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church is peculiar. 
It is not entirely analogous to either of 
the above-named systems, but does, as 
we think, embody the better features 
of them all, and exclude their objec- 
tionable ones. It is eminently practi- 
cal ; was not formed by theorizing, but 
is the result of experience. As Meth- 
odism arose and progressed, where the 
want of a rule was felt to aid the work 
it was adopted. If its practical work- 
ing was found to be good it was re- 
tained, but if not good, it was modified 
or abolished. Thus each prudential 
regulation has been brought to the test 
of experience and practical utility, one 



16 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

page of which is worth more than a 
volume of theory. We now turn our 
attention to some of the more import- 
ant points of Methodist Church polity. 
It is believed to be entirely proper, and 
we trust profitable, to call the attention 
of our ministers and members to our 
own system of Church government. 
In doing so we do not infract the rights 
or break the peace of any other eccle- 
siastical organization. We do not ex- 
pect, however, in one discourse to com- 
pass the entire system, but hope, to 
present a rapid outline view of its 
essential parts and practical working. 

THE STARTING-POINT. 

In Methodism the starting-point is 
the love of God as developed in re- 
demption, in the gift of the Spirit, and 
the divine call to the work of the min- 



THE STARTING-POINT. 17 

istry. Without redemption there is no 
possible salvation for sinners; without 
the Holy Spirit there could be no per- 
sonal application of the benefits of re- 
demption; and without some one be 
called to teach us we should remain 
ignorant of our blood-bought privileges, 
as Paul said to the Romans, " For who- 
soever shall call upon the name of the 
Lord shall be saved. How then shall 
the}" call on him in whom they have 
not believed? and how shall they be- 
lieve in him of whom they have not 
heard? and how shall they hear with- 
out a preacher? and how shall they 
preach except they be sent?" Now, 
suppose a nation in which there is not 
one experimental, practical Christian; 
how would the saving knowledge of the 
truth first be communicated ? To con- 
vert souls is God's work, but he usu- 
2 



18 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

ally employs human instrumentality to 
teach them their lost condition and 
their remedy. We say usually, but not 
necessarily, for he can work with or 
without outward means. He, however, 
so far as we know and believe, employs 
only such as possess the knowledge 
necessary to be imparted to others. 
Sinners can not savingly enlighten 
each the other. It requires a con- 
verted man to get other men con- 
verted, or they must be operated on 
by the Holy Spirit independent of hu- 
man interference. Then to originate a 
work of saving grace we may rationally 
conclude, where there are no examples 
of it previously, God must do one of 
two things: first, he would send a con- 
verted man from some Christian coun- 
try, to teach, warn, and invite souls to 
Christ; or, secondly, he would, by his 



A LITTLE ORGANIZATION. 19 

word and Spirit, awaken, enlighten, and 

call some sinner, grant him repentance, 
faith, pardon, regeneration, and adop- 
tion, and then send him out among his 
neighbors to tell them what the Lord 
had done for him and was willing to do 
for them. In either case there is a 
missionary in the field. And when he 
gets one soul converted he has one wit- 
ness and one helper. Their united in- 
fluence will prevail with others, and the 
work will enlarge itself till the number 
will require an understanding as to the 
terms of fellowship. 

A LITTLE ORGANIZATION. 

When converts are multiplied from 
units to tens, some kind of organiza- 
tion becomes necessary to maintain 
unity and peace. They may begin 
with a record of the names of all the 



20 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

converts or persons proposed for mem- 
bership. These form the nucleus of 
the Church. The missionary pastor 
and his children in the Gospel are of 
one heart and mind. To remain so 
they must adopt some simple code 
based on the Bible, defining their faith 
and practice. They must agree on the 
Scriptural standards of morality and 
godliness to prevent future difficulty. 
Also, the respective rights and duties 
of pastor and members, when and 
where they will meet for religious wor- 
ship, and what shall be the order of 
their public and social exercises. They 
will likewise need certain officers to 
promote the interests of the society in 
its various departments, and strengthen 
the hands and hearts of pastor and 
people. They who are strong in faith, 
gifted in prayer, and apt to teach are 



A LITTLE ORGANIZATION. 21 

appointed leaders of prayer meetings 
and class meetings. Active and pious 
sisters may be highly useful among the 
serious, the sick, and the poor. Such 
brethren as may possess deep piety, 
sound judgment and business habits 
are elected stewards and take charge 
of the secular affairs of the Church. 
They who have financial skill and gen- 
eral influence in Church extension are 
chosen as trustees. And such as have 
aptitude to teach and manage children 
and youths are assigned to the Sabbath 
school department. Thus they proceed 
to perfect the little organization so as 
to bring their entire force into requisi- 
tion. 

Again: as such local societies or 
Churches come up in other places, at- 
tention becomes necessary to connec- 
tional arrangements. All the societies 



22 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

wishing to belong to the ecclesiastical 
confederation and come under the same 
general jurisdiction must adopt the 
same articles of faith and rules of dis- 
cipline, for "how can two" — or more — 
"walk together except they be agreed?" 
By such union the societies mutually 
strengthen and encourage each other. 
In an early stage of the process of 
organization it becomes indispensable 
to settle fully and securely the 

TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP. 

As the work progresses and prospers 
many persons may desire admission, 
and some, perhaps, not regarded as 
suitable to be received, and others 
already received not profitable to be 
retained. Mere personal preference is 
not a safe rule. Religious experience 
and moral deportment must be re- 



& 



TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP. 23 

garded as the standards of qualifica- 
tion. Our fathers who gave us the 
outline of our present system of Meth- 
odist discipline, made a capital hit 
when they adopted the rule requiring 
a probation *of at least six months prior 
to regular membership, a rule still en- 
forced in all cases, excepting such as 
bring letters of recommendation from 
orthodox sister Churches as worthy 
members. The condition of admission 
on trial is, "a desire to flee from the 
wrath to come, and to be saved from 
sin." But this desire, to become avail- 
able, must be evinced in three ways: 
" First. By doing no harm, by avoiding 
evil of every kind," etc.; " Secondly. 
By doing good," etc.; "Thirdly. By 
attending upon all the ordinances of 
God," etc. If the pastor knows the 
candidate to come up to this standard 



24 



METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 



he can admit him on trial at once. 
But in the absence of such personal 
knowledge the rule is, "Let none be 
admitted on trial except they are rec- 
ommended by one you know, or till 
they have met twice or thrice in class," 
so as to form some opinion of their fit- 
ness. The wisdom of this rule is ap- 
parent on the face of it. To profess 
a change of heart and to make some 
show of outward reformation are easy; 
but a probation of six months, subject- 
ing the candidate to weekly class ex- 
amination both as to his religious exer- 
cises and daily deportment, is a much 
safer test of sincerity and consistency 
than a single profession at any one 
time. The conditions of full member- 
ship after probation are three. First, 
a recommendation by a leader with 
whom the candidate has met at least 



TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP. 25 

six months on trial, who has every op- 
portunity to know his religious state, 
daily walk, and general bearing. Sec- 
ondly, he must be consecrated to God 
in baptism, either in infancy or adult 
age, this being the initiating ordinance 
into the visible Church of Christ. 
Thirdly, he must, "on examination by 
the minister in charge, before the 
Church, give satisfactory assurances 
both of the correctness of his faith 
and his willingness to observe and 
keep the rules of the Church." These 
conditions are few and simple, but in- 
dispensable; and taken altogether they 
show conclusively that our Church is at 
least as well guarded against imposition 
in the reception of members as any 
other Church. When any one has 
fully complied with them the pastor, 
in the name and on the behalf of the 



26 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

whole Church assembled, extends to 
him the right hand of fellowship, and 
pronounces him a member. We have 
been thus particular in noticing tire 
entire process of receiving members 
because many uninformed people sup- 
pose that we have first a low standard 
of qualification for Church membership, 
and secondly, that we are too lax in 
maintaining it. Both are mistaken 
suppositions. In addition to the fore- 
going rules the pastor is required to 
"read the rules to them" — the proba- 
tioners — "the first time they meet." 
Also, "the official minister or preacher 
shall, at every quarterly meeting, read 
the names of those that are received 
into the Church, and also those that are 
excluded therefrom." See Discipline, 
Part 1, Section 2. 



ACQUIRED RIGHTS. 27 

ACQUIRED RIGHTS. 

By becoming a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church you acquire 
rights which you never had before, and 
never could have possessed without such 
membership. And, first, you secure 
an interest in all the Church property, 
which, in houses of worship, parsonages, 
cemeteries, and institutions of learning, 
with their ground plats, amount to at 
least twenty millions of dollars. There 
may be a few houses of worship occu- 
pied by our preachers and people which 
are not regularly conveyed to the whole 
Church, but are held in trust for the 
use of the local societies connected 
therewith; in these your connection 
with the Church at another place gives 
you no title. Such deeds of convey- 
ance are unfortunate. They are not 



28 METHODIST CHUECH POLITY. 

according to our Discipline, and we 
may hereafter be turned out of such 
houses if the local authorities holding 
them should become disaffected toward 
our Church. Now, we do not say that 
brethren holding and occupying such 
houses are not good Christians or good 
Methodists, but we do say that their 
title to the property is not Methodist- 
ical. When tried by our "Form of a 
Deed of Settlement " it is found de- 
fective. But when property is regu- 
larly conveyed and held in trust "for 
the use of the members of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church in the United 
States of America," as her rules re- 
quire, then every member of that 
Church is a joint stock owner in the 
whole concern. It is true that the 
number of stockholders is large, and 
the shares, of course, small; yet they 



ACQUIRED RIGHTS. 29 

are desirable as identifying our interest 
with that of the Lord's people, and 
giving us some claim on his earthly 
courts. "We shall be satisfied with 
the goodness of thy house, even of thy 
holy temples." Psalm Ixv, 4. Sec- 
ondly, by becoming a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church you have 
acquired a full share in all her privi- 
leges. This includes an interest in her 
sympathies, her prayers, and her ample 
means of religious instruction and en- 
couragement; in her ordinances, in- 
cluding the holy eucharist, and in her 
powerful ministry and pastoral over- 
sight. You have secured a right to 
attend and participate in all her relig- 
ious meetings for public and social wor- 
ship, whether for expounding and hear- 
ing the Gospel for prayer and praise, 
or for mutual edification by reciting 



30 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

personal experience. You have all the 
privileges found in any other evangel- 
ical Church, with class meeting and 
love-feast into the bargain, two choice 
means of religious improvement at 
once profitable and delightful. With- 
out intending any offense to others, we 
here say there is no Church in this 
country blessed with a more spiritual 
living membership than ours is, though 
there is much room for improvement 
among us; no Church affords more 
helps or better encouragement to a 
godly life than ours does. And as to 
our doctrinal views, we have never had 
occasion to waste much time or strength 
in adjusting them, for our unity in this 
respect has been unparalleled from the 
beginning of our history to the present 
time. None of our losses bv secession 
were occasioned by doctrinal contro- 



ACQUIRED RIGHTS. 31 

versy, but always arose out of conflict- 
ing views on questions of expediency — 
views intemperately urged by brethren 
of a restless spirit and a reckless pur- 
pose. Certainly our doctrinal unity is 
cause of devout thankfulness to the 
whole Methodist family. Thirdly, these 
acquired rights are secured to you on 
such a firm constitutional basis that no 
earthly power can deprive you of them 
till you willfully forfeit them by disobe- 
dience to or some personal violation of 
the rules of the Church. The idea of 
some that a Methodist preacher has 
power in himself to dispossess a lay- 
man of his membership in any case is 
entirely groundless. That he had such 
authority once in the infancy of Meth- 
odism is admitted, but it was found to 
be unsafe for the members, and was 
therefore taken from him at an early 



32 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

period. Nothing that a member can 
do authorizes a pastor to exclude him 
till he is regularly tried and found 
guilty by his fellow-laymen. And if 
any preacher in charge were to exclude 
a member without a disciplinary trial, 
such preacher would receive severe cen- 
sure by the conference where he is amen- 
able, and justly, too. There are, how- 
ever, several ways in which a private 
member may forfeit his own rights; and, 

First, he may remove his residence 
without a certificate of membership, or 
he may take one with him but never 
hand it in, and thereby his name is lost 
from the Church roll. Thus hundreds 
and perhaps thousands move out of the 
Church annually, and, as a matter of 
course, lose their religious standing. 

Secondly, a member in regular stand- 
ing may at any time, by general usage 



ACQUIRED RIGHTS. 33 



and common consent, withdraw from 
the Church, and thereby relinquish all 
his acquired rights. The Church is not 
a prison, but a voluntary association; 
and if brethren keep the rules while 
members, they may quietly go out as 
they came in, with the consent of the 
proper Church authorities. 

Thirdly, any member who willfully 
and habitually neglects his religious 
duties or persists in disobedience to the 
order of Discipline, renders himself lia- 
ble to reproof, 1, by his leader; 2, by his 
pastor; then, if not reclaimed, he should 
be cited to answer before the society or 
a select number, and if found guilty 
and incorrigible, the rule is to exclude 
him. But we make a distinction be- 
tween merely excluding a useless mem- 
ber for such offenses and expelling him 
for crime. The idea is to get clear of 



34 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

him in the easiest legal way, leaving 
him where w T e found him, fixing no 
stigma on his moral character for mere 
neglect or disobedience to rule. 

Fourthly, a member charged with 
immorality receives a copy of the 
charges in due time, with a notice to 
appear before a committee and answer, 
where he has liberty to defend himself, 
aided by any other member of the 
same pastoral charge. If found guilty 
the preacher in charge, as the organ of 
the Church, is required to expel him. 
But he has the right of appeal to the 
next quarterly conference, which is 
generally a large, intelligent body of 
brethren, selected for their wisdom and 
piety, embracing all the class-leaders, 
stewards, exhorters, and local preachers 
of the circuit or station and the travel- 
ing preachers stationed there for the 



ACQUIRED RIGHTS. 35 



time being. Please observe, the appeal 
is not to the presiding elder except on 
law questions, but to the quarterly con- 
ference, and that body is bound to en- 
tertain it, except where the appellant 
refused to attend the trial, and may dis- 
pose of the appeal in one of three 
ways, namely: If the trial has been 
illegal it may be set aside and a new 
trial ordered. But if the appeal be 
tried on its merits the case can only be 
reversed or affirmed. If the decision 
of committee be reversed the appellant 
is restored; but if affirmed, his expul- 
sion is ratified. Even this is not nec- 
essarily an end of the case; the ex- 
pelled may complain to the annual con- 
ference of the administration, and if 
that body decide that he was expelled 
contrary to rule, he is thereby restored 
and the administrator censured. But 



36 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

if all these actions fail, he is finally 
out, and becomes to us as a heathen 
and a publican. " After such forms of 
trial and expulsion, such person shall 
have no privileges of society or of sac- 
raments in our Church without contri- 
tion, confession, and satisfactory refor- 
mation." 

Here we take occasion to say there 
is no Church, the rights of whose mem- 
bers are more firmly secured than those 
of our own. The rules are right in 
themselves, based on Bible principles 
of justice and propriety, and give us 
little or no trouble. But unfortunately 
they are sometimes badly administered, 
and that occasions difficulty. For ex- 
ample, in a few cases the stewards and 
leaders' meeting is made a standing 
tribunal to investigate all matters of 
complaint against Church members, 



ACQUIRED RIGHTS. 37 

which is not only unauthorized, but is 

really unjust. Stewards and leaders are 
members of the quarterly conference; 
if they try and condemn a brother and 
he take an appeal, to whom does he ap- 
peal? The same judges from whom he 
appeals, which is mockery. Let it be 
understood now and ever that no mem- 
ber of the quarterly conference should 
ever be on the committee of trial below. 
The duties of a stewards' and leaders' 
meeting are few, simple, and specific; 
namely, each leader reports to the pas- 
tor his sick and delinquent members, 
and to the stewards his weekly collec- 
tions for the preachers, Church, and 
poor, and the business is done, except 
when there are probationers to be rec- 
ommended for membership, or an appli- 
cation for recommendation for license, 
which is the only item that requires 



38 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

either discussion or vote. Yet, not 
content with doing all the Discipline 
directs, the stewards and leaders occa- 
sionally assume legislative prerogatives^ 
and make rules affecting terms of. 
membership and try to enforce them. 
Again, they assume to be a judicial 
tribunal, and try offending members. 
But they have no more authority for 
either than they have to perform the 
functions of the President's cabinet at 
the city of Washington. To prevent 
discord every department of Church 
authority must adhere strictly to its 
own appropriate business and not inter- 
fere with that of any other, then the 
whole system moves harmoniously. 

THE MINISTRY. 

Between the members and pastors 
there are active agents for good; class- 



THE MINISTRY. 39 

leaders, exhorters, and local preachers. 
The leaders are appointed by the 
preacher in charge to aid him in his 
pastoral work of visitation and prayer 
and instruction. Exhorter's license is 
granted by the pastor on recommenda- 
tion of the members, and renewed 
annually on that of the quarterly con- 
ference. Local preacher's license is 
granted by the quarterly conference on 
the recommendation of their respective 
societies, and renewed annually when 
their gifts, grace, and usefulness will 
warrant such renewal. Local preachers 
are eligible to deacon's orders in four 
years, and to elder's orders in eight 
years. There are in our Church over 
7.000 local preachers, deacons, and 
elders. Anions; so many there may be 
some drones, but in general they are 
worthy brethren, co-operating with the 



40 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

regular pastors to extend the kingdom 
of Christ. Many of them are able min- 
isters, but haying no pastoral charge 
they pursue some secular business for 
a living through the week, and on Sab- 
bath serve the Church for nothing 
and find themselves. To their praise 
be it said, they are, with perhaps a few 
exceptions, loyal to Methodism, and de- 
serve well of the Church and public to 
whom they minister gratuitously, reg- 
ularly, or as occasional supplies. The 
pastors proper in our Church are regu- 
lar traveling preachers. How they be- 
come such is a question worthy of 
special consideration. There are two 
general systems of preparing men for 
the Gospel ministry. One is to select 
boys who may or may not be con- 
verted, and who subsequently may or 
may not be called of God to preach 



THE MINISTRY. 41 

and educate them for the ministry. 
But our system is to receive young 
men who are both converted and called, 
in the judgment of their brethren, and 
train them in the ministry, uniting the 
study and practice of theology all the 
way through. This we have proved to 
be a successful system of training min- 
isters. The details of our system are 
briefly these: A young man feels him- 
self moved by the Holy Spirit to the 
work of the ministry. His brethren 
where he resides being acquainted with 
him and his gifts and graces, become 
convinced there is a dispensation of 
the Gospel committed to him, and after 
proper trial, recommend him to quar- 
terly conference for license. Here he 
is examined as to his belief of our 
doctrine and Discipline; also, his expe- 
rience and call to the work. This 



42 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

examination is conducted by the pre- 
siding elder in presence of the confer- 
ence, and if approved he is granted 
license to preach. But this does not 
make him a traveling preacher. Next, 
after proper trial of him as a preacher, 
he is recommended by the quarterly 
to the annual conference for admission 
on trial as a traveling preacher. If re- 
ceived he is assigned to a field of labor, 
usually as the colleague of a more 
experienced minister. Then there is 
given him a course of study, embrac- 
ing science and theology, and extend- 
ing through four years. He is now, 
in college parlance, admitted to the 
freshman class, a class which the 
past year numbered 552. His daily 
business now is to read, study, pray, 
preach, exhort, and visit the sick and 
the serious. At the end of the year 



THE MINISTRY. 43 

be appears before a committee of ex- 
amination on the course of study. 
When his name ■ is called before the 
conference, the committee for the first 
year reports on his studies, and his pre- 
siding elder on his ministry in the cir- 
cuit. If approved, he is by vote con- 
tinued on trial, and passes into the 
sophomore class, where he reads, stud- 
ies, prays, preaches, exhorts, and visits 
as before. At the end of the second 
year, having passed another examina- 
tion; he appears before conference, and 
agrees to do many things, among which 
are these : To keep the rules of the 
Church and attend her sacraments; to 
devote himself wholly to God and his 
work; to visit from house to house, and 
diligently instruct the children in every 
place. In a word, that he will act as a 
son in the Gospel, and do that part of 



44 METHODIST CHUECH POLITY. 

the work which we advise, at those 
times and places which we judge most 
for God's glory. After these pledges 
the committee reports on his studies, 
and the presiding elder on his work. 
Then, if approved, he is admitted into 
full connection and elected and ordained 
deacon, and promoted to the junior 
class. The following year, if approved., 
he enters the class of seniors, at the 
end of which he reviews the whole 
course, and, passing in the committee 
and conference, he is elected elder and 
inducted into the full ministry. He 
has now made full proof of his min- 
istry, and adopted it as the work of his 
lifetime. Hereafter he has only to 
pass the annual examination of charac- 
ter in common with other brethren. 
This is a usage peculiar to Methodism. 
In all the annual conferences we call the 



THE MINISTRY. 45 

name of every preacher, from presiding 
elder down to probationer, and ask, Is 
there any thing against him? If there 
be any thing against him as a man, 
as a Christian, or as a minister, he 
must give a satisfactory explanation, 
or be held to account. This in our 
Church polity is an indispensable rule. 
Our interchanging itinerancy makes it 
so. We sometimes send a preacher 
where the people have little or no per- 
sonal knowledge of him, yet they are 
safe in receiving him, 1, because they 
know the conference has indorsed him; 
2, because they know the conference 
does not indorse doubtful characters. 
In regard to examination of character 
there is no exception, for no brother 
is eligible to any appointment till his 
character passes. 

We have noted briefly the ordinary 



46 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

process by which an itinerant minister 
becomes such. Before we lose sight of 
him one item more should be referred 
to — that of his support. He has left 
all for this work. May be he was a 
farmer, or mechanic, or teacher, or mer- 
chant, or physician, or lawyer — no mat- 
ter what, he has dropped his secular busi- 
ness and relinquished his worldly pros- 
pects to devote his life to the ministry. 
He has done so, 1, because he believed 
God called him to it; 2, because the 
Church recognized that call, and en- 
. couraged him at every step to proceed ; 
it hence follows conclusively that the 
Church is responsible for his support 
while he remains at his post. It is a 
small affair any how. Each preacher's 
allowance is fixed by the people of his 
own charge through a committee of es- 
timation 5 whose report is reviewed by 



PRESIDING ELDERS. 47 

the quarterly conference. So much for 
house rent, fuel and table expenses, 
added to his quarterage, the aggregate 
is usually not large enough to impov- 
erish any community. The contract is 
one-sided; those who pay it fix the 
sum themselves. Now, when a minis- 
ter is regularly appointed, and his al- 
lowance is agreed on and settled, the 
brethren whom he serves are as much 
bound in honesty to pay his claim as 
they are to pay their store bills and 
taxes. So we think. "Even so hath 
the Lord ordained that they which 
preach the Gospel should live of the 
Gospel," is the law of the New Testa- 
ment. 

PRESIDING ELDERS. 

The office of presiding elder is sim- 
ply one of appointment by the bishop 



48 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

for executive purposes. A presiding 
elder's district includes about twelve 
pastoral charges, more or less, each of 
which he visits four times a year to 
preach, administer the ordinances, and 
hold quarterly conference. He takes 
charge of all the elders and deacons, the 
traveling and local preachers and ex- 
horters in the district, and is required to 
see that every part of the Discipline is 
carried out; that the interests of the 
missionary, Sabbath school, and tract 
causes are properly cared for. He pre- 
sides in the appeal trial of excluded 
members, and decides all questions of 
law in quarterly conference. He also 
directs young men to their course of 
studies, and examines the candidates 
for orders; he receives, employs, and 
changes preachers in the interval of 
conference and absence of the bishop; 



PRESIDING ELDERS. 49 

and such as are disorderly he brings to 
account by committee, or reports them 
to conference. He also is consulted b} r 
the bishop as to the arrangement of 
the work and appointment of the 
preachers to it ? etc. It will be seen 
readily how important this office is to 
the great itinerant system. If this 
part of the machinery be removed, the 
whole is in confusion. An error in 
selecting the officer is no argument 
against the office. The people might 
prefer a popular preacher on the dis- 
trict, but sound judgment, and execu- 
tive skill, and administrative ability are 
much more important in a presiding 
elder than popular talent in the pulpit; 
at least, this is the opinion of such as 
have most experience. The office first 
appears on the Minutes of 1785, when 

an elder's name stands at the head of 
4 



50 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

each district; but without the prefix 
"presiding" till 1789, just seventy 
years ago, since which period the Min- 
utes in this respect have been uniform. 
A usage of seventy-four years' stand- 
ing is entitled to respectful considera- 
tion. It has, however, higher claims 
than age confers on the score of utility. 
The experiment has proved itself suc- 
cessful. No prudential regulation in 
our Church has done so much to render 
our itinerant ministry effective, except 
the general superintendency, as the of- 
fice of presiding elder. But recently 
there has been prejudice against it in 
certain localities, chiefly, w r e presume, 
on the ground of its expense. The 
allowance of a presiding elder is esti- 
mated by a meeting of stewards, com- 
posed of one from each circuit and sta- 
tion in the district, elected for the pur- 



PRESIDING ELDERS. 51 

pose by the quarterly conferences re- 
spectively, and the amount is appor- 
tioned among them. Some brethren 
regard the elder's claim as a useless 
burden, and ask. Why should he super- 
sede our pastor, who preaches as well as 
he can, four Sabbaths of the year? 
Such brethren, it seems, take it for 
granted that the chief, if not only busi- 
ness of a presiding elder is to preach, 
which is only one of his many duties. 
We should like them to remember, 
also, that the same authority that sent 
them their pastor appointed their pre- 
siding elder to hold for them four quar- 
terly meetings a year, and that they 
have no more right to repudiate the 
claim or dispense with the services 
of one than of the other. There are 
a few preachers and members who 
think the office, if ever it was needed, 



52 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

ceases to be so, and ought to be abol- 
ished. When a traveling preacher 
takes this position, allow us to ask, is 
it because he fears to get into trouble, 
and does not care to have a presiding 
elder about to rein him up before a 
committee, or to report him to confer- 
ence ? When a local preacher takes it, 
does he expect to be tried, and would 
he prefer, in that event, that the pastor 
who brought him before a committee 
and suspended him, should preside on 
his trial proper in quarterly conference 
rather than the presiding eider, who is 
disinterested and expert in questions 
of the sort? Or if a member who 
wants no presiding elder should be ex- 
pelled and take an appeal, would he 
wish the pastor who passed sentence 
upon him to preside over his appeal 
trial rather than the presiding elder? 



PRESIDING ELDERS. 53 

May be he would prefer all this to pay- 
ing the presiding elder's claim. Well, 
if the office of presiding elder be clone 
away, something analogous to it must 
be substituted, or our system will be 
crippled. And I give my judgment in 
advance, that nothing can be substitu- 
ted equal to it in simplicity, efficiency, 
or economy. There are others who de- 
sire the office retained but modified, so 
as to avoid the expense. They wish 
each presiding elder appointed to a pas- 
toral charge, and paid there like other 
stationed preachers, but to retain his 
official relation as chairman of the dis- 
trict. Here I would ask those econo- 
mists, would they be willing to take the 
presiding elder for their pastor and sup- 
port him, he giving one-half to three- 
fourths of his time to the interests of 
other charges? If not, why wish to 



54 METHODIST CHUECH POLITY. 

lay the burden upon others? Upon 
the whole, I wish to record my opinion 
in favor of retaining the office of pre- 
siding elder with as little modification 
as may be. Long and well-tried rules 
which have accomplished much good 
should never be hastily abandoned for 
new and doubtful experiments. We 
have as much need of presiding elders 
now as we ever had. 

THE APPOINTING POWER. 

This pertains to the general superin- 
tendency. We have now six bishops, 
neither of whom claims any local dio- 
cese. They are jointly responsible for 
the oversight of the whole connection; 
they divide it into six parts, each tak- 
ing his route for one year, and then 
changing, so that each in his turn pre- 
sides in all the conferences. One of 



THE APPOINTING POWER. 55 

our official duties is "to fix the ap- 
pointments of the preachers " under 
certain rules of limitation well under- 
stood among us. In our peculiar or- 
ganization many individual rights are 
relinquished for the general good. Min- 
isters relinquish any real or supposed 
right of preference for places, with an 
understanding that the members are 
not to choose their pastors but to re- 
ceive whomsoever are sent. This is as 
fair for one party as the other. Of 
course the execution of such a system 
requires the agency of a third party, 
the bishops. Now, the Church has 
confidence in the appointing power or 
she has not. If she possess confidence 
in us, why complain of our action in 
the premises? If confidence be want- 
ing, why not remove the appointing 
power into other hands? By a certain 



56 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

constitutional process the power to ap- 
point the preachers might be trans- 
ferred from the bishops to a committee 
of preachers and laymen, or, what would 
virtually amount to the same thing, 
abolished entirely, leaving ministers 
and members free to make their own 
arrangements. But what then would 
be the fate of itinerancy? What the 
prospect of our mission to " preach the 
Gospel to every creature?" A dozen 
charges might claim the same popular 
preacher, and as many preachers the 
same good-paying station, and who 
would decide? But worse yet, what 
would become of that circuit with long 
rides, hard work, rough fare, and poor 
pay? As it is, we man all the work, 
the ministers alternating between good 
appointments and poor ones, and the 
people are saved, which is securing the 



THE APPOINTING POWER. 57 

main object of our mission. To enable 
us to make the appointments properly, 
full information of the work and the 
laborers is needful. How is it ob- 
tained? Chiefly through the presiding 
elders, who form our council of advice. 
When our preachers were few, with only 
a few fields to cultivate, Bishop As- 
bury, having personal knowledge of the 
whole, made the appointments himself 
with little difficulty. The preachers 
w r ere then mostly bachelors and boys, 
without the care of families, and there 
was no figuring over their support. 
The case now is materially changed. 
We have now nearly six thousand 
effective traveling preachers, and most 
of them have families to move and be 
provided for, so that to adjust them to 
the work without oppression to them 
or to the people is a herculean task. 



58 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

It involves a fearful responsibility, and 
they who have to bear it are more de- 
serving of sympathy than of censure. 
Some have suggested to dispense with 
presiding elders altogether, elect a 
bishop for every large conference and 
one for every two small ones, and let 
him make the appointments from per- 
sonal knowledge. This plan would not 
work so well as the present. To obtain 
that knowledge he must visit, preach, 
and advise with leading brethren in 
every charge, over one hundred in all. 
To succeed he must spend at least one 
Sabbath in each charge, which, in a 
conference of average size, would re- 
quire two years. The year ending 
when the bishop is half round, what 
does he know of the half not visited, 
and what of the charges in nine or ten 
months where he first visited? But 



THE APPOINTING POWER. 59 

the presiding elders, whose districts 
cover the whole ground, visit the 
charges each four times, and come up 
well informed as to the wants and 
wishes of preachers and people, and 
laying all before the bishop, with their 
suggestions, he can proceed with con- 
fidence of affording, in general, toler- 
able satisfaction. There is another dif- 
ficulty in such multiplication of bishops. 
How would they be supported? The 
Book Concern pays six of us, but could 
not pay forty or more. Their claim 
would come back on the members, and 
if they object to paying a presiding 
elder who visits them quarterly, how 
much more to paying a bishop for one 
visit in two years? My own opinion 
is, the wisdom of man can make but 
little improvement on our present sys- 
tem. Bishop Asbury said truly, "Lo- 



60 METHODIST CHUKCH POLITY. 

cal men have local views." We meet 
the proof at every step of our over- 
sight. The denizens of an infant city 
looking up seem to be just under the 
greatest altitude of the arched heavens, 
the horizon closing clown all around 
them, from which they feel sure that 
their city is precisely in the center of 
the world, and, of course, will soon 
control its commerce and command the 
respect of all civilized nations. And, 
for reasons quite as good, the brethren 
of each pastoral charge think their 
station is the most important of any 
in the conference, and should have the 
best preacher, whether they can support 
him or not. Here we could furnish 
amusing examples, but we forbear for 
want of time and room. Even the 
ministry is not entirely free from local 
partiality. Each presiding elder keeps 



THE APPOINTING POWER. Gl 

a sharp look-out for his own district, 
that it may be well manned at every 
point, whatever befalls other districts. 
But as the presiding elders generally 
understand their own districts, and how 
to guard their interests, we set one over 
against the other, and usually close up 
the account with a clean balance sheet. 
Again: the brethren of each annual 
conference seem to regard their terri- 
tory as nearly, if not quite, the head- 
quarters of the Methodist confedera- 
tion, and, of course, entitled to special 
consideration. To meet emergencies, 
the bishops have occasionally to take 
brethren where they can find them, and 
supply the vacancies as well as they 
can. When we transfer a young man 
of promise to fill some distant post 
they say, "He is our man; Aye brought 
him into the work and trained him for 



62 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

our own important territory, and to re- 
move him to another conference is un- 
fair; let other conferences raise their 
own men as we do." But we who are 
bound to provide for the whole, proceed 
on the principle that Methodism in all 
the conferences is one concern, and that 
the strong should aid the w r eak. Again: 
w T hen a brother comes into a conference 
by transfer, and receives such an ap- 
pointment as he had. usually filled 
where he came from, the brethren are 
too apt to feel envious toward him, and 
say, Why is this stranger placed in 
the good positions of our conference, 
where we have borne the burden and 
heat of the day? In reply we ask, 
Is not a reputation as a Methodist 
preacher earned there as good as if it 
were earned here? Again: if those en- 
vious ones should ever be transferred to 



THE APPOINTING POWER. 03 

another conference, would they be will- 
ing to fill appointments inferior to those 
usually given them in their own confer- 
ence, especially if called for by the 
people in better places? A good rule 
works both ways. Now, all these dif- 
ficulties, arising out of local views and 
conflicting local interests, furnish argu- 
ments for leaving the appointing power 
in disinterested hands. A Methodist 
bishop has a little of Paul's experience : 
"Beside those things that are without, 
that which cometh upon me daily, the 
care of all the Churches.*' Our rela- 
tion is precisely the same to East 
Maine conference and to Cincinnati 
conference, to Minnesota conference 
and to Baltimore conference, and so 
of all the rest. It is our duty to care 
for the entire connection of preachers 
and members, and, as far as practica- 



64 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

ble, have them all provided for. "And 
who is sufficient for these things?" 
We do not say that we are, for bishops 
are but men. We have in common 
with others the weaknesses of humanity. 
All we claim in the premises is, that 
our position in the work is favorable to 
a general understanding of its wants, 
and to an impartial supply of them for 
the good of the whole. 

THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. 

Thus far we have discoursed chiefly 
on the executive affairs of our Church, 
but now turn our attention for a few 
minutes only to her rule-making de- 
partment. The General conference is 
composed of delegates from all the an- 
nual conferences, who collectively rep- 
resent and act for the entire connection 
of ministers and members. They meet 



THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. C5 

quadrennially, and remain in session 
about one month, and do more business 
than Congress does in six months, for, 
as a body, they are marked for ability, 
order, and dispatch. Besides revising 
the Discipline, they elect bishops, book 
agents, editors, corresponding secretaries 
for the missionary, Sabbath school, and 
tract societies, and regulate the pub- 
lishing interests of the whole Church. 
They fix the boundaries of all the an- 
nual conferences, try appeals of ex- 
pelled or censured traveling preachers, 
adjust the general finances of the 
Church, and examine carefully the ad- 
ministration of the annual conferences 
as recorded in their respective journals. 
They also are the tribunal to which the 
bishops are amenable, and hold them 
to strict account, both for their per- 
sonal conduct and official administer 
5 



66 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

tion — all of which is right and proper. 
As to their legislative authority, the 
Discipline declares: "The General con- 
ference shall have full power to make 
rules and regulations for our Church 
under the following limitations and re- 
strictions." So it appears that, while 
that body possesses much delegated 
power, there are certain things which 
it can not do. We here name some 
of them. "The General conference 
shall not revoke, alter, or change our 
Articles of Religion, nor establish any 
new standards or rules of doctrine con- 
trary to our present existing and estab- 
lished standards of doctrine." Then, 
if all the delegates become heterodox, 
they can not make us so by changing 
our creed. "They shall not revoke or 
change the General Rules of the United 
Societies." For they are our moral 



THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. 67 

code or summary of Bible precepts, and 
express clearl} 7 " the terms on which we 
can retain our standing in the Church. 
To change the General Rules, therefore, 
is to change our terms of membership, 
which can not be done except by the 
constitutional process. Again: "They 
shall not do away the privileges of our 
ministers or preachers of trial by a 
committee and of an appeal; neither 
shall they do away the privileges of our 
members of trial before the society or 
by a committee and of an appeal;" and 
we are glad of it. There are other 
things in which they are restricted in 
like manner. Yet any of these restric- 
tions, except the one covering our Arti- 
cles of Religion, may be removed by 
the concurrent action of three-fourths 
of all the voters of all the annual con- 
ferences and two-thirds of the General 



68 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

conference. In all things not thus re- 
stricted the delegates are free to act 
for the whole Church. Some think 
that they possess too much power, but 
we think they have no more than the 
good of Methodism requires. The fear 
that they may ruin the Church is not 
well founded. All such alarmists are 
more scared than hurt. I have attended 
the last nine quadrennial sessions, four 
of them as a member and five as a 
presiding officer, and have ever found 
them disposed to regard the general 
good as far as they understood it. I 
have never known them to refuse to 
pass any new rule generally desired, or 
to hesitate to repeal one generally offen- 
sive. It is true they do not obey the 
dictation of a few visionary men, who 
may demand what would be a grief 
to nineteen-twentieths of the whole 



THE GENERAL CONFERENCE. 69 

Church, and herein they act wisely. 
The generally-expressed wish of min- 
isters and members within constitu- 
tional bounds is the measure of Gen- 
eral conference action. So it should 
be, so it has been, so it practically is, 
and so it is likely to continue. Where, 
then, is the danger so much dreaded 
by some ? The leading men of the 
Church understand her constitution, 
and will not override it; they know 
her true interests, and will endeavor to 
promote them by revision of rules and 
otherwise. The Discipline is, upon the 
whole, much improved recently, and 
may be in some few particulars made 
still better. But to these items I may 
not refer in this connection. My ob- 
ject is to explain our system rather 
than to make additions to it. The 
General conference will do this if nee- 



70 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

essary. The rest of what I have to 
say will come chiefly under the head of 

OBJECTIONS. 

Objection First The ministers have 
every thing their own way, and the 
members have no check upon them. 

If this were true the objection would 
be serious and weighty. To say that 
our laymen are without influence over 
their pastors., apart from any Disciplin- 
ary arrangements, would be a poor 
compliment to their intelligence. But 
viewed in the light of rule and usage, 
the objection is ridiculous, and is urged 
only by those who are ignorant of our 
system. Among the checks which the 
membership hold upon the ministry we 
will name two: First. Our dependence 
on them for men to keep up the minis- 
terial force to carry on the work. All 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 71 

the conferences, both annual and Gen- 
eral united, could not make one travel- 
ing preacher, without the pre-action of 
the lay members recommending him for 
that purpose. The rules are explicit 
and indispensable: 1. "No person shall 
be licensed to preach without the rec- 
ommendation of the society of which 
he is a member, or of a leaders' meet- 
ing;"' and, 2, in answer to the ques- 
tion, "How is a preacher to be received 
on trial?*' the rule is, "By the annual 
conference. But no one shall be re- 
ceived unless he first procure a recom- 
mendation from the quarterly confer- 
ence of his circuit or station.*' Thus 
we see it requires a two-fold action of 
lay members to get a start as a travel- 
ing preacher — one to obtain his license, 
and another to secure his admission on 
trial. And to prevent imposition, both 



72 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

actions must be taken where he resides 
and is best known, in his society, and 
his circuit or station. Now, if the 
members of our Church should ever 
come to the conclusion that the preach- 
ers are corrupt men and no longer de- 
sirable, all they have to do to exterm- 
inate us is to shut down that gate, 
send us no more candidates, and the 
work is done. The present incumbents 
will die off at first at the rate of fifty 
to a hundred a year; and as no young 
men are added, the older we get the 
faster we will die, so that in a few years 
the Methodist ministry would be among 
the things that have been and are not. 
The second check which the members 
hold over their ministers is in the form 
of material aid. We are as dependent 
on them for the means as we are for 
the men to carry on the work. With- 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 73 

out their aid in mone}^ we could not 
build churches or found any high insti- 
tutions of learning; we could not sup- 
port our foreign missions or home work. 
Even the support of our regular pas- 
tors is all on the voluntary principle; 
no member is compelled against his 
own will to pay a cent. Now, there- 
fore, if you are tired of our ministry, 
just pull the purse-strings a little 
tighter, and hold on with a miserly 
grasp, and you have us in your power. 
In three months you can produce fric- 
tion; in six months you can lock the 
wheels of itinerancy; and in one year 
you can break down the whole concern 
of Methodism. The starvation argu- 
ment is powerful; it pleads directly to 
the inner man; apply it generally as it 
has occasionally been applied in a few 
special cases, and we must all "back 



74 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

down" at once. But it will not be 
done. Our people know their own in- 
terests too well and appreciate them 
too highly for that. Besides they are 
improving in liberality faster than any 
thing else. Here then the objection 
falls to the ground. The people know 
their own power to withhold both men 
and means, and these are all the checks 
they need over us to keep us to our 
proper places. 

Objection Second. The members are 
not allowed any representation in the 
conferences. 

This is, in fact, the most formidable 
objection to Methodist polity that can 
be brought, and, as far as it is truthful, 
we shall " own up " and try to harmo- 
nize conflicting views, or, at least, to 
lessen needless prejudice. We con- 
cede, first, that the present represent- 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 75 

ation of members is indirect, more so 
than would be satisfactory in civil af- 
fairs. As citizens you vote for electors, 
and they elect a President, or, in case 
of failure, the election goes to Congress, 
and in either case you are represented. 
In our Church all traveling preachers 
are first approved by the lay members, 
as we have fully explained, and, when 
received, become the electors to ap- 
point delegates from among themselves 
to General conference, where they feel 
that they act for the members as much 
as for the preachers. It is, therefore, 
not exactly correct to say, the members 
are not allowed any representation, 
though, as we said, it is only indirect. 
The members, however, act a more 
prominent part in administering the 
rules than in making them. We con- 
cede, secondly, that if the members of 



76 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

our Church really desire a direct rep- 
resentation in the conferences, with all 
its expense, trouble, and responsibility, 
they should have it. As yet, however, 
there is no evidence that such repre- 
sentation is generally desired by them. 
We doubt whether one member in fifty 
desires it, and certainly not one in a 
hundred has ever asked for it. In this 
movement the preachers are in advance 
of the members, asking for them what 
they have not asked for themselves. If 
the members generally ever do request 
it, the General conference will respond 
with fraternal kindness, as they always 
have done. But, thirdly, while w T e 
should not oppose a reasonable and 
well-guarded lay representation, we are 
persuaded that such a plan as has been 
suggested by some would bring embar- 
rassment instead of relief. It is pro- 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 77 

posed to have as many lay delegates in 
General conference as there are of cler- 
ical; that the lay members shall be 
equal in number to that of ministers in 
the annual conferences, and the number 
of laymen in the bishop's council shall 
be equal to that of presiding elders. 
But here let it be remembered, the 
General conference already numbers 
about 250 delegates; double the num- 
ber, and you have a deliberative body of 
500. Then, instead of one month to 
hold a session, we shall need two. Large 
bodies move slowly. And whether 
brethren of sufficient importance to be 
delegates would like to leave their busi- 
ness and spend two months at once 
attending to Church affairs, is a ques- 
tion for them to decide. Some of our 
annual conferences contain 250 and 
many of them over 150 preachers; add 



78 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

as many laymen, protract the sessions to 
two or three weeks, and where will you 
find accommodation for three, four, or 
five hundred men annually for so long 
a time? The presiding elders in east- 
ern conferences usually range from 
three to six, and in the western con- 
ferences from five to ten; add as many 
laymen to the bishop's council, with 
their local views and prejudices, and 
their want of knowledge as to the work 
and the laborers, and we reckon that 
making the appointments will prove to 
be a tedious operation. But we pre- 
sume that many long years will pass 
ere the Church generally will ask for 
such a representation as this movement 
contemplates. And as to what would 
be a safe and suitable plan of lay rep- 
resentation, I acknowledge myself un- 
prepared to suggest, and would rather 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 79 

wait for time to develop our wants, and 
the indications of Providence for the 
best method of supplying them. 

Objection Third The bishops own 
all the Church property, and have an 
undue influence in the government. 

Own all the Church property! If 
that were only true, would n't we be 
rich? Only six bishops among whom to 
divide twenty millions of dollars* worth ! 
What a pity that truth should upset 
the figures and leave the objection 
without any foundation ! Some of our 
enemies have reiterated this silly false- 
hood till they almost believe it true. 
But now for the facts in the premises. 
I have been called bishop twenty-three 
years, and yet no house of worship or 
preacher's house has ever been deeded 
to me; nay, more, I have never in that 
long period been promoted to the office 



80 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

of trustee for any one of your churches 
or parsonages to my knowledge. A 
few chapels bear my name, but that 
gives me neither title nor trusteeship 
in them. Again: the Discipline says, 
"Let nine trustees be appointed for 
holding Church property where proper 
persons can be procured; otherwise, 
seven or five." In defining who are 
proper persons, it says, "No person 
shall be eligible as a trustee to any 
of our houses, churches, or schools who 
is not a regular member of our Church." 
Here the law of the Church requires 
nine, seven, or five trustees to hold the 
property for the general good, and that 
they shall be regular members — not 
bishops. The recorder's office contains 
the proof that laymen, not bishops, hold 
your property in trust for your benefit. 
But the bishops wield too much power. 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 81 

In one respect only we have great 
power — that is, in appointing the preach- 
ers — but not more than is needful to 
sustain an itinerant interchanging min- 
istry. With less power it could not be 
done. This, too, is power conferred by 
those over whom it is exercised, and 
may be recalled when we abuse it. In 
all other affairs of the Church our 
power is quite limited. We have no 
authority to ordain bishop, elder, or 
deacon till he is elected and handed 
over to us for that purpose; and then 
we have no discretionary power, but 
must ordain him, whatever doubt we 
may have of his fitness. In the annual 
conference we decide questions of law, 
subject to an appeal to General confer- 
ence. But in the General conference 
we are mere moderators, and can decide 

nothing but points of order, and are 
6 



82 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

liable to be overruled on appeal to the 
house. From the days of Asbury to 
the present the constant tendency has 
been to diminution of Episcopal power, 
till we have little left besides our chair 
in the conference and in the stationing 
room; and if that should slip from 
under us, we should be down fiat You 
may, therefore, dismiss all your needless 
fears of Methodist Episcopal power. 
Moreover, it may seem strange to you 
who never examined the subject, but is, 
nevertheless, true, that the bishops are 
the only men in the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church who have no vote in any 
conference, quarterly, annual, or Gen- 
eral — not even a casting vote in case 
of a tie or equal number of votes pro 
and con. Indeed, we are not allowed 
the right of discussion on any question 
pending in any conference. If we speak 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 83 

it is by courtesy, not by legal right. 
But still worse, we are the only men in 
the Church who have no appeal. When 
a member is expelled, he can appeal to 
quarterly conference ; if a local preacher 
be expelled, he can appeal to annual 
conference ; or if a traveling preacher be 
expelled, he can appeal to General con- 
ference ; but if a bishop be expelled, as 
he may be by General conference, he 
has no appeal till the day of the general 
judgment. One thing more against our 
being dangerously armed with power is 
this: in a member or preacher "im- 
proper conduct " is cause of reproof, but 
in a bishop it is cause of expulsion. 
Here is the rule to sustain our state- 
ment: "Question 1. To whom is a 
bishop amenable for his conduct? An- 
swer. To the General conference, who 
shall have power to expel him for im- 



84 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

proper conduct if they see it necessary." 
See chapter x, section 1, of Discipline. 

Objection Fourth. Methodist polity 
is not liberal enough for our free civil 
institutions. 

We admit that our Church polity is 
not in all points exactly modeled after 
our civil government, nor do we deem 
it desirable that it should be, but we 
deny that it is less liberal. As a citi- 
zen you are subject to civil authority 
without your consent, but the Church 
is a voluntary association, and no man 
is a subject of her government against 
his own will. You are compelled by 
law to pay tax, but your Church dues 
are free-will offerings. When a citizen 
is arraigned for crime, has he a right 
to demand that he be confronted by 
his accusers and their witnesses? The 
same right belongs to a member of our 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 85 

Church. Is the judge restrained from 
passing sentence on a citizen till found 
guilty by a jury? Even so can no 
Church officer pronounce sentence on a 
member of our Church till found guilty 
by a committee. Besides, a citizen 
charged with crime and awaiting his 
trial is either imprisoned or required to 
give bail ; but our Church knows nothing 
in her administration of prisons or bail 
bonds. Again: the state inflicts death 
or confinement at hard labor in the 
penitentiary, according to the offense 
committed; but our Church, even for 
the highest crimes, inflicts no punish- 
ment beyond that of dismembering the 
offender from her communion, leaving 
him where she found him, without any 
civil disability. Then the balance of 
liberality is decidedly in favor of the 
Church and against the state. More- 



86 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

over, in our polity the ends of justice 
are obtained in a direct and simple 
manner, without the delay, expense, 
technicalities, or legal quibbles pertain- 
ing to civil jurisprudence. In addition 
to all these things, there is in the out- 
ward structure of our system some 
resemblance to American institutions. 
A few hints here are all that need be 
given to show the analogy. The class 
may answer to the school district, and 
the society, made up of several classes, 
to the township; the circuit, embracing 
many societies, to the county; the pre- 
siding elder's district may answer either 
to the judicial circuit or to the Congres- 
sional district, the annual conference to 
the state, the General conference to 
the Congress, and the general superin- 
tenclency to the chief magistracy of the 
nation. Now this is coming as near 



OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 87 

to the secular institutions of the coun- 
try as we deem necessary, and cer- 
tainly as near to them as any other 
Church government does. We know 
that in the United States the civil 
authority is above the ecclesiastical; 
and to this we not only make no objec- 
tion, but we as a Church honestly and 
heartily profess our allegiance to our 
civil government. See 23d Article of 
Religion, and the marginal note ap- 
pended. But while we are law-abiding, 
we detest all kinds of political oppres- 
sion on one hand and all mob vio- 
lence on the other. And we utterly 
deny the charge of an illiberal Church 
polity, for we have ever advocated free 
grace, free sittings, and free commu- 
nion, and ask, Who does any more? 
Having tried to present a rapid view 
of Methodist Church polity, or, at least, 



88 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

of its more prominent features, both in 
structure and in its practical working, 
and considered some of the objections 
commonly urged against it, we now 
turn our thoughts toward a 

conclusion. 

In regard to the doctrine and Dis- 
cipline of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church we conceal nothing. The more 
this system is investigated the better 
it is understood, and the better it is 
understood the more generally and 
highly it is appreciated. So we think. 
No man should blindly walk into any 
Church, but should first satisfy himself 
as to her creed, her government, and 
its practical working, and then take his 
position deliberately, settling the ques- 
tion of his Church relation for life. 
This done, he should conform to Church 



CONCLUSION. 89 

rules and usages, so as to maintain 
harmony and peace in the body. We 
trust that Methodists are generally 
such from conviction, from principle, 
and from choice, and that their hearts 
are fixed to walk by the same rules 
and mind the same things while life 
endures. The fact of our being in the 
Church implies an obligation to con- 
form to her Discipline. But we are 
under more than an implied obligation. 
We promised, as a condition of being 
admitted to full membership, in pres- 
ence of the Church assembled, to ob- 
serve and keep her rules. And now 
consistency requires it, and the people, 
both in and out of the Church, expect 
us to keep our pledge. To violate it 
would involve our reputation and peace 
of mind. Besides, our profession is 
nothing to be ashamed of. We have 



90 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

good company and plenty of it. Many 
of the most influential men and women 
of the country are with us, not only in 
name, but in mind and heart. The 
time was when Methodism was an ex- 
periment; the time is when Methodism 
is a "fixed fact," and a glorious fact, 
too. At first some of our enemies 
thought us too insignificant to oppose. 
One said, "Let the Methodists alone, 
and in a short time a corn-crib would 
hold them all." But it would require 
more cribs than Joseph built in Egypt 
to hold us now. Then we were a mere 
handful, but now we are spread into 
bands. "One shall become a thousand, 
and a little one a strong nation." Then 
we were poor, worshiping by courtesy 
in private dwellings, school-houses, and 
barns; but the Lord has blessed us 
with means to provide for ourselves 



CONCLUSION. 91 

comfortable churches. At first we 
had no literary institutions; but now 
we have all grades of them, from the 
elementary school to the university, 
without stint. Then our literature 
was quite limited; but now we are 
not ashamed to compare catalogues 
with any religious publishers in Amer- 
ica. Several leading denominations or 
Churches of this country date back 
over two centuries, while the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church is only about 
seventy-five years old, and yet numer- 
ically we are perhaps the strongest 
among them. Doctrinally, Methodism 
has made a strong impression on Prot- 
estant Christendom, moderating the 
rigid features of other systems, and 
encouraging a more liberal orthodoxy. 
But the Lord has favored us with one 
gift better than numbers, wealth, learn- 



92 METHODIST CHURCH POLITY. 

ing, books, or orthodoxy. He has sent 
us the Comforter to abide with us for- 
ever. Methodism still operates in dem- 
onstration of the Spirit and of power. 
A few years since croakers were inso- 
lent, saying, in substance, "Methodism 
has had its day, but has accomplished 
its mission and is defunct." But our 
net increase of 136,000 members last 
year and the great revivals still in 
progress show that her enemies are 
false prophets, and that her course is 
yet onward toward the millennial glory. 
So far is Methodism from having ac- 
complished her mission, we consider the 
work as but fairly begun, and trust 
that her peaceful banners will soon 
quietly wave over all the earth. Let 
us, therefore, hold fast our profession. 
Yes, brethren, hold on to your doctrine, 
especially of general atonement, the 



CONCLUSION. 93 

witness of the Spirit, and of full salva- 
tion. Hold on to your experience of 
grace. Hold on to your Discipline. 
Hold on to your peculiar rules and 
usages, to class meeting and love-feast, 
to congregational singing and revival 
operations, to the mourner's bench, and 
to kneeling in prayer. Hold on to 
itinerancy, and, as far as may be, to the 
circuit system ; hold on to the presid- 
ing eldership and to general superin- 
tenclency. In a word, hold on to every 
thing essential to the success of Meth- 
odism, for it has saved millions now in 
heaven, and millions more in Europe 
and America who are still heading for 
the world of light and peace above. 
To God be all the glory in Christ Jesus 
our Lord! Amen. 



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